!.)0 
MATAOOJIDA 
most auciently liuowu processes of auimal niaguetism. 
Thougli I had opportunities of seeing many persons who 
had closely observed the confederated Carih’s, I could not 
learn whether the marirris belong to a particular caste. It is 
observed in North America, that, among the Shawanese,* 
divided into several tribes, the priests, who preside at the 
saerilices, must be (as among the Hebrews) of one particular 
tribe, that of the Mequachakes. Anyhicts that may here- 
after be discovered in America respecting the remains of a 
sacerdotal caste appeiU's to me calculated to excite great inte- 
rest, on account of those priest-kings of Peru, who styled 
themselves “ the children of the Sun and of those “ suii- 
kings” among the Natchez, who recall to mind the Heliades 
of the first eastern colony of Rhodes. 
On quitting the mission of Cari, we .had some difficulties 
to settle with our Indian muleteers. They had discovered 
that we had brought skeletons with us from the cavern ot 
Ataruipe; and they were fidly persuaded that the beasts of 
burden which carried “the bodies of their old relations” 
would perish on the joumey.f Every precaution we had 
taken was useless ; nothing escapes a Carib’s penetration 
and keen sense of smell, and it required all the authority 
of the missionary to forward our passage. We had to eross 
the Rio Cari in a boat, and the Rio deagua cZem, by fording, 
or, it may almost be said, by swimming. The quicksands ot 
the bed of this river render the passage very difficult at the 
season when the waters arc high. The strength of the cur- 
rent seems surprising in so Hat a country ; but the rivers of 
the plains are precipitated, to quote a correct observation of 
Pliny the youngcj'.j “ less by the declivity of their course 
than by their abundance, and as it were by their own weight.” 
\\ o liad two bad stations, ono at IMatagordaand the oilier at 
Los Rieeetos, before we reached the little town of Pao. )\'e 
beheld eveiywhei-o the same objects ; small huts constructed 
of reeds, and roofed with leather ; men on horseback armed 
with lances, guarding the herds; herds of cattle half wild, 
remarkable for their uniform colour, and disputing tho 
• People that came from Florida, or from the soutli {shawaneu) to the 
aoi'th. t See vol. ii. p, 485 . 
+ F.pist. lib. viii. ep. 8 . Clitummis non loci dpvexitatc, sed ipsa sui 
copia et quasi pondere impellitur.” 
